lantz



(No Model.)

J. A. LANTZ.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRICAL WIRES.

No. 349,397. PatentedSept; 21, 1886 UNITED STATES PATENT FIcE.

JOHN A. LANTZ, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE T.

OLIVER, OF SAME PLACE.

' COUPLING FOR ELECTRICAL WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,397, datedSeptember 21, 1886..

Application filed April 8, 1886. Serial No. 198,299. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, JOHN A. LANTZ, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Couplings for Electrical WVires, and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Muchlabor and time have heretofore been expended in the coupling of theline-wires of electric-lighting systems, whereit is necessary to spliceparts of a continuous line, or to attach branch service-wires tothe mainlinewire, because of the crude appliances and methods which have beenused for that 'purpose. This is especially so in systems of incandescentlighting, because of the heavy linewires therein employed.

It is the object of my invention to cheapen the cost and to reduce thelabor of constructing and repairing such lines.

In the accompanying drawings, with reference to which I shall describemy improvement, Figurel is a plan view of a part of an incandescentline-wire, illustrating my invention, the parts being shown of abouttheir natural size. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line as wof Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the visual arrow A. Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line y y of Fig. 1.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the drawings the line-wire is shown in two sections or pieces, a andb, and 2 is the coupling-piece by which these sections are united.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the socket 2 is cylindriform, and consists oftwo semi-cylim drical sections, 0 and (l, the ends of which-arescrew-threaded, as at 6. At the center of the sections a and (Z theiraxial grooves are widened, so that when the sections are put togetherthere shall be an enlarged central cavity, f.

The coupling-piece is applied as follows: The ends of the adjacentline-sections a and b,

. which are to be coupled, are upset, so as to form flanged heads a andb, of greater diameter than that of the wire, and greater also than thediameter of the axial bore of the coupling 2. The headed wires a b arethen laid in the groove of one of the sections, c,of the coup ling,withtheir heads a and b in the enlarged recess f. The other section, d, ofthe coupling is then superposed upon the section c,so as to inclose thewire, and the two parts are then finally united by screwing caps orrings h upon the threaded ends of the coupling, as shown in Figs. 1 and3. By reason of the heads a and b the wires cannot be drawn from thecoupling and a very secure union is effected.

The coupling can be adjusted and removed in a very short time. It isconvenient and cheap.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I show a modification of my invention designed for usein connecting branch wires with the main line-wire. 3 indicates thecoupling, which is made of a T form in two sections, 2' and j, which,when placed together as shown in thedrawings, af-

ford a cylindrical bore through the arms of 7C the T for the line-wire,and a transverse bore through the shank ofthe T for the branch wire. Atthe inner end of thelatter bore is an enlarged recess, is.

In applying the coupling, the parts are placed together on the line-wireand the branch wire so that the line-wire shall be in the bore in thehead of the T, and that the branch wire m shall be in the transversebore, the flanged head m being in the recess is. The sections of thecoupling are then suitably locked together, preferably by a screw cap orring, it, at one end, and by a bolt and nut, n, at the other. In boththe forms of coupling which I have described there is no need that theconnected wires should be in direct contact with each other, since eachis in contact with the coupling, which, being metallic, establisheselectrical communication between the wires.

The coupling device which I have described may be used with advantage asa binding-post for dynamos or other electrical machines.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination,with the electricallinewires, of a coupling consisting of a metallic tubular socket dividedlengthwise into separable parts,inclosing and in electrical contact withthe ends of the wires, and devices, substantially asdescribed,connecting the parts of I09 the coupling and clamping them onthe wires, enlarged recess for the flanged end of the wire,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. substantially as and forthe purpose specified. IO

2. The combination, with an electrical line In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my wire having a flanged or upset end, of a couphand this31st day of March, A. D. 1886.

ling for connecting said wire to a second wire JOHN A. LANTZ.

or electrical instru1nent,said coupling consist- I \Vitnesses:

ing of a tubular socket divided lengthwise THOMAS XV. BAKEWEL intoseparable parts and having an internal NV. B. CORWIN.

